Frequency of Cleft Lip with or Without Cleft Palate and Related Factors in a Group of Neonates in Three Hospitals in Sari, Iran, during 2004-2018

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) is one of the most common congenital defects in the orofacial region. Many factors are involved in the occurrence of cleft lip in newborns including genetic and environmental factors. The prevalence of this anomaly varies in different races and countries. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of this disorder in newborns in Bu Ali, Hekmat, and Amir Mazandarani Hospitals in Sari, Iran, during 2004-2018. This descriptive-analytical study was carried out using information obtained from the records of patients in Imam, Hekmat, and Amir Mazandarani health centers in Sari, Iran. The number of patients with CLP was extracted from the information in the record files. Afterward, information related to infant and mother, such as gender, birth weight, maternal age, the cases of consanguine marriage, family history of CLP, history of drug use in the first trimester of pregnancy, the history of smoking and alcohol consumption were also recorded to investigate the factors related to CLP. A total of 65,522 births were recorded at the three abovementioned health centers during 14 years, of which 80 infants were born with a variety of CLP anomalies. The overall CLP prevalence in this study was estimated at 1.2 per 1,000 births. It should be noted that 52.5% (n=42) and 47.5% (n=38) of these cases had CLP and CL, respectively. No cases of isolated cleft palate were observed. Furthermore, 71.3% (n=57) of all CLP cases occurred unilaterally. In total, 86.3% of the studied infants weighed over 2,500 gr at birth and 72.5% of mothers aged under 30 years at childbirth. Based on the obtained results, the overall prevalence of oral clefts in the studied population was 1.2 per 1,000 births and mostly occurred unilaterally.